why the fuck is a schoolboard voting "along party lines." I know it's been this way for a while, but it doesn't make it any less stupid that your godamn political party decides your EVERY attitude in life.
this post was submitted on 18 Aug 2023
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"I'm a Republican because I want small government! Government so small it fits in my head and determines literally everything I do! I'm also a free-thinker by the way, or at least that's what Sean Hannity says I should call myself."
It’s a republican strategy decades in the making to “fix” the phenomenon of liberal schools. School board members now campaign on national right wing outlets.
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I'm trying to wrap my head around the intent.
Is this a case where she was fired because the book didn't have anything to do with the class she's teaching? Or because a bunch of parents went Karen and it made the school district look bad?
If a history class references passages from the bible, I think that is inappropriate in general but it depends on context. If it's using the bible to explain say the history of the Holy War, that makes sense. Having the context about the why does help.
If she was teaching Sex Ed and talking about gender fluidity, in that context it makes sense to me.
Like you can't talk about Hitler's philosophies without being up Mein kampf even at a shallow level. And to ignore it is disingenuous to education.
The intent is transphobia, anything else is an excuse.
I mean they have a very logical point, it's probably unlikely but for example you would have to admit if it was a maths class and there was an important standardized exam coming up, such unrelated material would be a highly unusual waste of time and in contempt of the time sensitive curriculum. We can't just politicize every headline and grab our pitchforks before we get the full picture - details and nuance are important for categorizing things like this. Perhaps it is though, the headline sounds bad but the actual article provides very little further context. Did she know it was a violation of policy and opt to be fired anyway? Why?
Everyone says this but I remember my teachers wasting our time pretty often. I can still tell you about my 7th grade English teacher's time he met his future daughter-in-law but not the difference between an adverb and a verb.
Except it isn't a fucking logical point, it's whataboutism and an army of strawmen.
And by playing devils advocate with these empty fallacies (and admitting you haven't even bothered to read the details, or know anything about this book that has you running scared), you are actively (and to my personal impression, deliberately) contributing to the problem.
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The 'insubordination' part is especially confounding. She's insubordinate by reading a children's book to children? What?
She’s insubordinate by reading a children’s book to children? What?
If it's "insubordination' then it's safe to assume either (a) she was explicitly told not to do this by a superior, or (b) there must be a rule or regulation against it in the school district.
Or (c) they're making up bullshit reasons to fire her.
Applying logic to bigotry is a waste of time. It's just ingroup loyalty. The rest is mouth noises. They won't be clever noises, and they won't be consistent noises.
I did some digging to see if she was teaching a particular subject or anything. She was a teacher in the schools gifted program and per her Wikipedia page "According to the Cobb County School Board, Rinderle read the book during a time block that was supposed to be dedicated to mathematics instruction and enrichment, but Rinderle denies this allegation.".
I'm going to keep looking but it seems like their schooling is structured differently than I have any experience in. When I was in 5th grade we had 3 teachers that we rotated between for different subjects. It seems like she was responsible for several subjects or the entire curriculum for her students. Either way, the school boards intent is clear and malicious.
Thanks for looking into this.
Reading an off topic book during a particular time block isn't an offense deserving of termination to any same person, either.
The book, My Shadow Is Purple is one I have had the pleasure to read thanks to my wife's job as a school librarian. The theme of the book is acceptance of differences, centered around a child's parent who at first seems unaccepting but who surprises the child and the reader at the end for a happy, wholesome outcome.
The board went against the recommendation of a panel and fired her over this book, voting along party lines, for an offense that would not ever warrant termination in an even marginally sane world. To me, this strongly suggests that this is another case of extremist right wing / regressive people trying to silence and further marginalize people different from them. Out of fear and hate, as usual. The effect of which is detrimental to each of the children who are not gender conforming. I personally think this school board needs to hear from people opposed to their decision en masse. They have already gone too far with their harmful ambitions.
This is the dumbest reason to fire a teacher. The education system is already hurting for teachers.
In what way could this be remotely worse then pushing a Bible on to a class
In no way, for those who consider everyone of equal value.
The Bible has many disturbing stories and isn't appropriate for children in my view, having read the whole thing as a kid.
For those (i.e. bigots, fascists, ...) that feel humanity is a hierarchy of value where the in group is at the top and the out group are below that, they are opposed to validating the perfectly normal and human experiences of people with a range of gender identities. For the subset of those that consider themselves Christian, they believe (without evidence) that the Bible is somehow better for kids than allowing them to be themselves and be validated and accepted by others.
A friend of my kid is exploring their gender identity. We have known the family since they were a baby. My wife is friends with the mom. They are religious we aren't. Unfortunately the mom insists on rejecting their identity and new chosen name. I personally cannot comprehend how one can prioritize anything over my own child's happiness.
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